Are there a lot of people on SSI disability benefits in America?
In America a lot of people have to get SSI even if they are able to work enough to live on because they can’t get health insurance. They get SSI because their medical bills are high, they have pre-existing conditions or they can’t work enough hours (40 hrs is full time – more than people work in other western countries mind you) to get employee health insurance. Sometimes people with disabilities will even get fired (technically it’s illegal but employers get around it quite easily) because their employer doesn’t want to pay for their health insurance. So yes, we have a lot of people on SSI disability in America, and not only that, we have a lot of people on SSI who wouldn’t need or want to be had we universal public health care. Not to mention Americans are expected to work more hours per week than in other countries which can be even more difficult for someone with a disability or illness.
